Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Rape and Parental Authority: When Stepfathers Exploit Familial Trust
The Supreme Court affirms that a father's moral ascendancy over his minor daughter makes rape a betrayal of trust, but requires qualifying circumstances to be alleged for the death penalty.
Moral Ascendancy in Rape Cases When Familial Trust Becomes a Weapon
How Philippine courts treat incestuous rape, moral ascendancy, and why the death penalty was reduced to reclusion perpetua.
Due Process in Rape Cases: Why Alleging Qualifying Circumstances Matters for Death Penalty
The Supreme Court explains why the death penalty in rape cases requires the qualifying circumstances to be alleged in the information, not just proved at trial.
Rape and Parental Relations: Clarifying Special Qualifying Circumstances in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when rape qualifies for the death penalty and why allegations of relationship must appear in the information.
Rape and the Requisite Allegations: Protecting Due Process in Criminal Prosecutions
The Supreme Court clarifies that special qualifying circumstances like relationship must be alleged in the information to justify the death penalty for rape.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding the Death Penalty in Child Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for the rape of a six-year-old, detailing the rules on victim credibility and evidence.
Rape and Consent: Examining the Boundaries of Force and Intimidation in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that rape is defined by lack of consent, not by the timing of physical force. A knife held during the act proves intimidation, and the death penalty was reduced to reclusio
Protecting Children: Understanding Qualified Rape and Parental Liability in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a father who raped his daughter, clarifying qualified rape and accomplice liability.
The Weight of Witness Testimony: Understanding Credibility in Philippine Rape Cases
How Philippine courts weigh a rape victim's testimony, and why proving the victim's age matters for the death penalty.
Crucial Evidence in Incestuous Rape Cases: Why Proof of Age Determines the Penalty
In incestuous rape, the death penalty requires proof of the victim's age beyond reasonable doubt. Learn from People v. Pecayo.
Rape Conviction and Proof of Victim's Age: People v. Mayorga
SC ruling on rape, death penalty, and the need for independent proof of victim's age below seven years.
Rape and Mental Incapacity: Consent, Force, and the Case of People v. Lopez
A niece with mild mental retardation is raped by her uncle. The Court explains consent, force, and why the death penalty failed.
Proving Rape: Why Corroborating Testimony and Victim Behavior Matter in Philippine Courts
A child rape victim's candid testimony and medical evidence secured conviction, but the Supreme Court reduced the death penalty because the information failed to allege the qualifying circumstance of
Breach of Trust: Parental Rape and Child Protection Laws in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court affirms death penalty for father who raped his 12-year-old daughter, clarifying parental authority and rape laws.
Reasonable Doubt and Acquittal: Examining Evidence in Philippine Rape Cases
Learn how Philippine courts weigh evidence in rape cases, and why proving the victim's age is crucial for the death penalty.
Proving Age in Philippine Rape Cases: Why Birth Certificates and Independent Evidence Matter
The Supreme Court explains why a rape victim's age must be proven by independent evidence, not just testimony, to justify the death penalty.
Credibility Counts: How Philippine Courts Weigh Witness Testimony in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court explains why a rape victim's credible testimony prevails over bare denials, and clarifies when death penalty applies.
Precision in Charges: How a Flaw in a Rape Indictment Spared a Defendant from Death Penalty in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on People v. San Juan clarifies how a defective rape indictment affects penalties and due process.
Incestuous Rape Conviction: Corroborated Testimony of Victim and Eyewitness Sustains Death Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms a father's death sentence for raping his 11-year-old daughter, relying on the victim's credible testimony corroborated by an eyewitness.
Incestuous Rape Relationship as a Qualifying Circumstance for the Death Penalty
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when the father-daughter relationship in rape must be alleged in the complaint to justify the death penalty.
Rape by a Stepfather Figure and the Limits of Information in Imposing the Death Penalty
A rape conviction upheld, but the death penalty was reduced because the qualifying circumstance was not properly alleged.
Protecting Children: Parental Rape and the Importance of Victim Credibility in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court clarifies that a stepfather's relationship to a rape victim must be stated in the Information to justify the death penalty.
Step-Parent Rape and the Death Penalty: What Philippine Law Requires
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a stepfather who raped his 11-year-old stepdaughter, clarifying the rules on qualifying circumstances and damages.
Protecting Innocence: The Supreme Court's Stance on Child Rape and Child Witness Testimony
A five-year-old rape victim's testimony can convict. The Supreme Court explains child witness credibility and the death penalty for child rape.